Chapter 1 "It's Time to Get in Line" Summary and Analysis

The text considers the phenomenon the authors term Nearing Death Awareness. It is a concept encapsulating a host of psychological, physical, and metaphysical traits that are exhibited by terminally ill patients in the weeks and days preceding death. The phenomenon is related to, but distinct from, the Near Death Experience. In Nearing Death Awareness, patients approaching death typically display up to four unique behaviors: they prepare to travel to another location; they perceive the presence of non-physical beings; they perceive the existence of a non-physical destination; and the demonstrate prescience about the date, and often time, of their death. These generalized behaviors appear to span multiple religious, racial, social and cultural groups and are experienced equally by both genders and all age groups.